Positioning, supporting and leveling device for floor drains



; Jan. 11, 1966 1.. c. GARDNER, sR., ETAL 3,

POSITIONING, SUPPORTING AND LEVELING DEVICE FOR FLOOR DRAINS Filed Nov.16, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I l l l l l INVENTORS LELAND c. emuuemsr. 6rLawson F. kDQwRogJr.

ATTORNEY 6 F ZZMLWI 11, 1966 c. GARDNER, sR., ETAL 3,228,083

POSITIONING, SUPPORTING AND LEVELING DEVICE FOR FLOOR BRAINS Filed Nov.16, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTORS LELAND cannoumsn 5-LAUJSON F.wHLDROEJr.

ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofitice 3,22%,d83 Patented Jan. 11, ldfifi3,223,683 PGSITiGNiNG, SUPIGRTING AND LEVELING EVIQE I- GR FLGGR BRAINSLeland C. Gardner, S12, 519 Rich Se, and Lawson F. Waldrop, .Ir., 529 S.York Ave, both of Rock Hit], SC. Filed Nov. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 411,273Ciaims. (Cl. 24271) This application is a continuation-in-part of priorcopending application Ser. No. 343,253, filed Feb. 7, 1964, now UnitedStates Patent 3,192,614, issued July 6, 1965, for Positioning, Levelingand Supporting Device Mountable upon an Upright Pipe or the Like, LelandC. Gardner, Sr., and Lawson F. Waldrop, In, inventors.

This invention relates to a device which facilitates the installation offloor drains on cast iron soil pipe stubs and the like.

An object of the invention is to improve upon the construction disclosedin said prior application by providing a device of the mentionedcharacter which is more economical to manufacture, stronger in itsgripping ac tion with the pipe upon which it is mounted and highlyreliable and efiicient in operation. The objectives in general are thesame as those specified in said prior ap plication, namely, to provide asecure positioning level ing and supporting device for a door drain uponan upstanding pipe, while the floor drain is being connected thereto ina fluid tight manner.

Other specific objects and advantages of the invention Will be apparentduring the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an assembled invention device prior toclosing permanently around a pipe stub;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the invention device assembled with apipe stub;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the invention device aftercomplete closing thereof upon the pipe stub and showing the devicesupporting a floor drain in a level manner;

FIGURE 4 i an enlarged horizontal cross section taken on line 4-4 ofFIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a similar view taken on line 55 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of an adjustable encircling strapemployed in the invention device; and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary radial section taken on line 77 of FIGURE 5.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustra tion is shown apreferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 18 designates a thickannulus or ring formed of rubber or rubber-like material of mediumhardness. As shown in FIGURE 7 for example the rubber annuhis 10 isrectangular in cross section and has fiat parallel end faces 11 and acylindrical bore 12 which is square with the end faces. The peripheralface of the annulus 1G is preferably provided with a shallow groove 13to receive the metal strap clamping unit 14 shown generally in FIGURE 6.The annulus It) is characterized by being thick radially andapproximately square in cross section so as to be capable of service asa support ing and leveling device for the cast iron lioor drain 15,FIGURE 3, mounted upon an upstanding soil pipe stub 16, in turnconnected with a cast iron trap 17 below floor level.

The rubber annulus it receives thereon, FIGURE 1, the metal clampingunit 14 aforementioned. The unit 14 comprises a preferably precoiledsteel strap 13 which tends to slightly grip the annulus 19 whenassembled therewith even prior to tightening. The strap 18 includes afull width portion 19 of sufiicient length to encircle the annulus 19 atleast one full turn, and a further integral portion Zll of reduced widthalso adapted to completely encircle the annulu it} by at least one fullturn. Intermediate the ends of the full width por tion 19, the samecarries a pair of lateral bendable lugs 21 Whose use will be furtherdescribed. These lug-s may be formed integral with the metal strap orthey may be carried by a short cross piece secured to the strap bywelding, riveting or the like.

At the juncture of the strap portions 1 and Ztl, a bendable relativelyheavy gage closing and securing lever 22 is provided and includes aninterior curved extension 23, riveted at 24 to the metal strap portion.19. The width of the element 22 is preferably equal to the width of thewider strap portion 19, as shown. The lever 22 is of uniform width andthickness throughout its length. Near its longitudnal center, the lever22 has a through slot 25 to receive therethrough the reduced widthportion 20 and the lever is engaged by narrow shoulders 26 on oppositesides of the slot, said shoulders being formed where the full Width andreduced width portions of the strap are joined. As shown in FIGURE 4,the lever 22 is bent adjacent the slot 25 so that the external portionthereof projects radially outwardly of the assembly for a considerabledistance. Formed with in this outwardly projecting portion is an opening27 having a locking tongue 23 disposed therein for engagemeritselectively within any one of a plurality of adjustment openings 29formed through the terminal end portions of the trap. The parts shownparticularly in FIGURE 6 and described immediately above constitute aprefabricated assembly or unit which may be applied over the rubberannulus 1t and will cling thereto even before final closing of theclamping unit. The full width strap portion 19, FIGURE 7, is of theproper width to be received snugly within the groove 13 of the annulus.

The device is used in the following manner in con nccti'on with theproper mounting of the floor drain 15 upon the soil pipe stub 16.

After the pipe stub 16 has been firmly installed upon the trap 17 byconventional or special methods, the floor drain 15 may be placed overthe pipe stub 16 and positioned roughly in relation to the floor leveland an approximate height for the drain may be inscribed on the pipestub 16. The drain may then be set aside. The invention device looselyassembled as depicted in FIGURES 1, 2 and 4 is now applied over the topof pipe stub 16 and adjusted along the pipe stub to the desiredelevation and finally the invention device is brought to an accurate andfinal elevation and position on the pipe stub 16 for leveling andsupporting the floor drain. When this position is achieved and while thetongue 28 is engaged through a proper opening 29, the projecting portionof the lever 22 is bent downwardly to conform to the exterior of thecircular band and to assume the position shown in FIGURE 5. The lever 22unlike the strap 18 is not formed of springy material and will not tendto open up after being bent over. However, to assure the final locatingof the lever 22, the lugs 21 are bent over the lever in the manner shownand the clamping unit 14 is now tightly and permanently in grippingrelation with the annulus 1t and causes the latter to firmly grip thepipe stub 16 with great force so that the drain 15 can be supported uponthe pipe stub in a very secure manner and at exactly the desiredelevation and in a level manner while a proper joint and seal is beingformed with conventional or special means between the drain and the pipestub.

When the floor drain 15 is completely joined and sealed to the pipe stub16, the invention device has actually served its purpose and is nolonger needed upon the pipe stub 16. However, due to the economicalconstruction of the invention unit, the same may be left permanentlyattached to the pipe stub Where it can never do any harm, and it iseconomically unnecessary t-o retrieve the invention device. The annulusmay obviously be formed in various sizes as may the clamping unit 14. Inany event, the invention has sufiicient adjustability to assure anexceedingly tight gripping engagement with the pipe stub and a firmsupport for the bottom of the drain 15. The fiat faces '11 of the rubberannulus provide an adequate broad bearing surface for the drain tofacilitate positioning, supporting and leveling the same. The inventionis very easy to assemble, adjust and install upon the pipe stub. Theadvantages of the construction should be clear to those skilled in theart without the necessity for any further description.

It -is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shownand described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, andthat various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scopeof the subjoined claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A device to facilitate the installation of a floor drain upon a soilpipe stub comprising a preformed closed ring of rubber-like materialengageable over the pipe stub and being substantially rectangular incross section and having a wide radial end face, said ring having anexternal annular groove, a precoiled spring steel encircling strapwithin said groove tending to cling to the ring, one end portion of thestrap having spaced adjusting openings, a bendable closing lever forsaid strap secured fixedly thereto intermediate the ends of the strapand having a slot receiving one section of the strap therethrough andhaving a locking tongue engageable selectively within any one of saidadjusting openings, said lever projecting radially of the ring outwardlyof said slot, and at least one lateral bendable lug on said strapintermediate the ends thereof adapted to be bent over said lever afterbending of the latter to secure the lever closely to the exterior sideof said device.

2. A floor drain positioning supporting and leveling device mountableupon a soil pipe stub in a selected posi tion comprising a rubber ringwhich is radially thick and provided with at least one broad fiat endface, said ring being approximately rectangular in cross section andhaving a shallow groove in its periphery, a precoiled steel clampingstrap mountable upon said ring and being of a width to seat within saidgroove and having an end portion of reduced width, said end portionhaving adjusting openings, a bendable securing lever attached to saidstrap intermediate the ends thereof and having a part projectingradially outwardly thereof including a tongue engageable through aselected one of said openings, and a bendable lug on said strap adaptedto secure said lever in a bent-over position for closing said strap uponsaid ring.

3. The invention as defined by claim 2, and wherein said bendable levelhas one end portion rigidly secured to the strap and has a through slotintermediate its ends receiving a reduced width portion of the strap andalso has a locking tongue radially outwardly of said slot.

4. A device of the character described comprising a ring formed ofrubber-like material and being rectangular in cross section and thickradially, a separ-ately formed metal encircling strap mountable uponsaid ring, a bend able closing lever for said strap secured theretointermediate the ends of the strap and having a slot receiving the strapand a locking tongue outwardly of the slot, a free end portion of thestrap being apertured to engage the locking tongue of said lever, andbendable means on the strap to hold said lever in a bent-over strapclosing position.

5. A device to facilitate the installation of a floor drain upon a soilpipe stub comprising a thick walled annulus of rubber-like materialadapted to engage over the soil pipe stub telescopically, a separatelyformed metal encircling strap mountable upon the periphery of saidannulus and completely encircling the same, and lever adjusting meanscarried by said strap and operable to draw the strap into tight grippingengagement with the annulus to that the annulus in turn grips said pipestub tightly, said annulus then adapted to support a floor drain uponthe pipe stub in a level manner and at a selected elevation, said strapincluding a port-ion of full Width approximating the axial width of saidring and a reduced width portion, said lever adjusting means including abendable lever having a Width substantially equal to the full widthportion of the strap and secured thereto, said lever having a slotreceiving the reduced width portion of the strap and also having alocking tongue, a terminal end portion of said strap having pluraladjustment openings each adapted to receive said locking tongue, andbendable lugs on said strap to secure said lever in a bent-over lockingposition.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 867,518 10/1907Mark 24-271 1,436,317 11/ 1922 Kriescher 24-271 1,971,438 8/1934 Yoder285-252 X 2,336,139 12/1943 Vogel 24-20 WILLIAM FELDMAN, PrimaryExaminer.

4. A DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING A RING FORMED OFRUBBER-LIKE MATERIAL AND BEING RECTANGULAR IN CROSS SECTION AND THICKRADIALLY, A SEPARABLE FORMED METAL ENCIRCLING STRAP MOUTABLE UPON SAIDRING, A BENDABLE CLOSING LEVER FOR SAID STRAP SECURED THERETOINTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF THE STRAP AND HAVING A SLOT RECEIVING THE STRAPAND A LOCKING TONGUE OUTWARDLY OF THE SLOT, A FREE END PORTION OF THESTRAP BEING APARTURED TO ENGAGE THE LOCKING TONGUE OF SAID LEVER, ANDBENDABLE MEANS ON THE STRAP TO HOLD SAID LEVER IN A BEND-OVER STRAPCLOSING POSITION.